The invention relates to a device for severing the pubis of the carcass of a slaughtered animal, in particular a pig, comprising a positioning element which is fitted at the end of an elongated carrier and is to be introduced through the anus into the rectum, a rotary-driven cylindrical first cutting element which is fitted concentrically around it and is displaceable in the lengthwise direction, and which has an end cutting edge describing a circular movement for cutting loose the rectum, and a blade-type cutting element for severing the pubis, which are combined to a functional unit which can be moved in its entirety to and from the carcass, and in which the movements of the positioning element can be controlled independently of those of the other elements.